Archive for the ‘Terrorism’ Category

Many killed in Pakistan’s Quetta blast.

Source : World Bulletin – The attack targeted and wounded a brigadier of a paramilitary unit involved in Pakistan’s capture of Younis al-Mauritani and two other al Qaeda operatives in Quetta in an operation announced on Monday.

Suicide bombers targeting a paramilitary brigadier killed at least 20 people in the Pakistani city of Quetta on Wednesday, apparently to avenge the capture of an al Qaeda leader, a security official said.

The attack targeted and wounded a brigadier of a paramilitary unit involved in Pakistan’s capture of Younis al-Mauritani and two other al Qaeda operatives in Quetta in an operation announced on Monday.

“Our fidayeen (suicide bombers) have carried out this attack. It is a revenge for the arrests of our brothers in Quetta,” Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.

“If they make more arrests then the reaction will be much more forceful.”

“This (Wednesday’s) attack has all the hallmarks of the Taliban. It seems to be revenge for the arrest of al-Mauritani,” said a senior security official.

Intelligence officials put the death toll from the Quetta attack at about 25. Sixty-one people were wounded.

The head of one of the suicide bombers had been found, and the features indicated he may have been from Afghanistan’s Tajik ethnic group, said the senior security official.

One of the suicide bombers blew himself up in a vehicle packed with explosives near the car of the deputy head of the paramilitary Frontier Corps in Baluchistan, Farrukh Shehzad.

Shehzad’s wife was killed, police said.

The other suicide bomber struck inside his house. The dead also included a colonel in Pakistan’s paramilitary forces and seven of Shehzad’s guards. The explosions brought down the walls of his house and nearby offices.

~eReuters.

Afghan behaind Quetta Blast.

ANITA JOSHUA | THE HINDU.

As many as 24 people were killed and 70 injured in two suicide attacks in quick succession at the residence of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Frontier Corps (FC) in the high security Civil Lines area of Quetta on Wednesday morning.

According to the police, the first suicide bomber rammed his car into a FC vehicle parked outside the DIG’s residence. In the melee that followed, the second bomber entered the residence and detonated himself. The dead includes the wife of the DIG and a FC officer.

Since the house is located near the Commissioner Office, traffic was heavy at the time of the attacks and several security personnel — present in the area in strength in view of the restive nature of the entire Balochistan province — were killed in the twin blasts.

An identification card retrieved from the remains of one of the bombers revealed him to be an Afghan national. Given the intensity of the blasts and the nature of injuries sustained by some of those battling for their lives in hospitals across the city, police fear that the death toll could rise.

The Taliban have reportedly claimed responsibility for the blasts. The attack is being linked to the role played by the FC in nabbing three al-Qaeda operatives in Quetta recently. The announcement of their arrest was made on Monday by the Army without disclosing when exactly the trio were picked up.

According to the Army, the FC had coordinated with the ISI in the “intelligence driven operation” to nab the three operatives including Younis Al Mauritani who was reported to have been tasked directly by Osama bin Laden to target U.S. and European economic facilities. The Army also acknowledged the technical support provided by the CIA in these arrests.

U.S., U.K. condemn

The U.S. and the U.K. have condemned the attacks through their respective diplomatic missions in Islamabad. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy said: “Nothing can justify immoral and indiscriminate attacks against innocents including Pakistan’s security forces.” Saluting Pakistan’s “brave security forces”, the statement reiterated U.S. resolve to stand with the people of Pakistan as they work for a future free of the violence and destruction wrought by al Qaeda and associated groups.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague in a related statement described the attack as a stark reminder of the threat Pakistan faces from terrorism. “The UK is committed to standing together with Pakistan in the fight against terrorism in all its forms and we will continue to work together to counter this threat.”

Clebrating Eid Day : Pak Sunni Style.

Quetta blast kills 11, injures 20 on Eid day.

A police official says a car bomb has exploded in Quetta, killing at least 11 people.

QUETTA, Pakistan ||Shawwal 01, 1432 || Wednesday, 31 August 2011 – A suicide car bomber attacked worshippers in southwestern Pakistan on Wednesday as they were heading home after morning prayers at the start of an Islamic holiday. The blast killed at least eleven people, officials said.

The attack occurred in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, which is home to both Taliban militants and nationalists who have waged a decades-long insurgency against the Pakistani government. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.

There were conflicting reports about the death toll from the blast.

Initially, Quetta police chief Ahsan Mahboob said five people were killed in the suicide attack. But Babul Baluch, a member of the Edhi Foundation, which runs ambulance services throughout Pakistan, said 10 people were killed.

The blast also wounded at least 17 people and damaged nearby vehicles and buildings, said Mahboob.

Now, the sources confirmed the death toll of 11 people injuring another 20.

The attack was a somber beginning to Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday that comes at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan. In Pakistan, the three-day holiday started

Abdul Jamil, a resident nearby says the blast occurred on Wednesday as hundreds of people were leaving a mosque in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province.

The crowd had just finished morning prayers to mark Eid al-Fitr. Jamil says at least 20 people were wounded in the attack.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. A car bomb Wednesday killed at least 11 people and wounded 20 others in the restive southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, police said.

“The bomb was planted in a car and an unidentified man parked it at the site and left.”

Hashim said there had been no immediate claim of responsibility and police could not speculate who could be behind the bombing, although the blast site was in an area populated by minority Shiite Muslims.

Hospital official Rasheed Jamali said there was one woman among the five dead brought to hospital.

Witnesses said several cars parked nearby also caught fire and a house was damaged.

Live television footage showed swirls of thick, black smoke as people ran into the street, some pushing their cars to safety, while ambulances carried away the wounded.

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Eid Mubarak.

I prayed to Allah to give a chance to convey a peaceful Eid greetings to all. But I am unfortunate enough. A painful Eid Mubarak to all.

These days, I am very much unwell. This blog is not updated. It could not be. Who are requesting me again again for this, I am saying sorry to my brothers and sisters. Please make dua for me for a prompt recovery and world peace.

Tensed Karachi. The current wave of violence in Karachi has brought the total number of dead to 88 in the last four days. - AFP Photo

Karachi continues to bleed & burn

Karachi paralysed by violence

KARACHI: The Sindh government authorised the Rangers on Friday to exercise the powers of police officers to ‘use necessary force to prevent terrorist acts’ as steps promised and taken hitherto failed to stop killings in Karachi and 30 people lost their lives on the fourth day of violence, raising the death toll to 93.

The Qasba Colony and adjoining areas remained the worst affected, although the violence spread to the southern and eastern parts of the city and grenade and rocket attacks were also reported.

Scattered arson attacks left at least eight shops burnt in Aligarh Colony and a commercial centre in Kharadar met the same fate.

The violence that has so far remained beyond the control of police and Rangers forced residents of Qasba Colony and adjoining areas to flee to safe places.

A Sindh Rangers spokesman said personnel of the paramilitary force had helped evacuate hundreds of people trapped in strife-torn areas.

“We are moving the families to safe places and the exercise continues. Rangers troops helped mainly people in Qasba Colony and adjoining areas,” he said.

A grenade attack in the congested commercial area of Bheempura claimed three lives and rocket attacks on houses in Baldia Town spread panic in the densely-populated neighbourhood.

City police chief Saud Mirza said: “Two miscreants were killed in an encounter in Pak Colony area, while in other parts of the city we managed to arrest some 85 people and seized arms, including AK-47 rifles. Read details in : Dawn

Death toll in Karachi unrest rises to 20

GULF TODAY || Wednesday 15th June 2011, Rajab 12, 1432 || KARACHI: The death toll in a fresh wave of violence blamed on political and ethnic tensions in Pakistan’s biggest city of Karachi rose to at least 20 on Wednesday, an official said.

Renewed tensions between the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Awami National Party (ANP), which represent different ethnic communities, have triggered serious fears that the violence could spill over on a wider scale.

“The death toll has risen to 20 with eight more targeted killings overnight in different areas of Karachi,” provincial home ministry spokesman Sharfuddin Memon said.

The violence erupted late on Monday.

The government in Sindh province said it had stepped up police and paramilitary patrols in the troubled western and central neighbourhoods to avert further killings.

Memon gave no specific reason for the renewed violence in Karachi but analysts believe conflicting interests of political forces and poor governance trigger routine flare-ups.

“Karachi is a big city where crime and corruption is rampant and targeted killings is convenient cover for criminal mafia to continue their activities,” analyst Imtiaz Gul said.

“While political parties fight to retain their clout in the city, criminal gangs, involved in organised crimes take advantage of the situation.”

Both MQM and ANP have accused each other of killing their supporters, fanning tensions within Karachi that reverberate to the capital Islamabad, where both factions are also members of the federal governing coalition.

In 2010, political violence in Karachi was dominated by flare-ups in August after an MQM lawmaker was shot dead and in October on the eve of the election for his successor.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 748 people – 447 political activists and the rest civilians – were killed in targeted shootings in the city last year.

Pak wrests naval base after 17-hr Taliban siege

From : Times of India.

Wreckage of a P-3C Orion aircraft is seen at a major Pakistani naval air base following an attack by militants in Karachi on May 23, 2011. – AFP Photo/ASIF HASSAN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s security forces regained control of Karachi’s Mehran naval base after a night-long firefight with Taliban militants on Monday, killing four assailants and losing at least 10 of their men in one of the most audacious sieges in that country, lasting 17 hours.

The attackers armed with grenades, rocket-launchers and automatic weapons, swore revenge of “martyrdom of Osama bin Laden” and stormed the base under cover of darkness using ladders and cutting the wire to get into the facility late on Sunday night. Once in, they scattered around the sprawling compound setting off explosions and destroying two US-made PC-3 Orion surveillance aircraft, each worth Rs 162 crore.

Two attackers were shot dead and one blew himself up. While two militants escaped, a third is believed to be lying, possibly dead, under the debris. Among the 17 foreigners at the spot, 11 Chinese aviation trainers were safely evacuated, said Pakistan’s interior minister Rehman Malik.

The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack to avenge bin Laden’s death. “It was the revenge of martyrdom of Osama bin Laden. It was the proof that we are still united and powerful,” Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told Reuters from an undisclosed location.

The militants made full use of the darkness to keep the security forces engaged all night, hiding in the vast facility ringed with a concrete wall with about five feet of concertina wire on top. Pakistan navy spokesman Irfan-ul-Haq said the militants hid in and fired from an office building until Monday afternoon.

The assault was the worst on Pakistan’s military since a similar raid on Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi in 2009. Terrorists had stormed the headquarters close to Islamabad and held hostages for 22 hours. The attack on the facility raises fresh doubts about the military’s capability to protect its bases and further embarrasses Pakistan’s security establishment following the US raid to take out bin Laden from the northwestern town of Abbottabad on May 2.

Experts slammed the security lapse that led to the attack and feared that the attackers had insider support.

Journalist Nasim Zehra said, “The attack only highlighted the need for the government and military to accept that insiders were facilitating the terrorists.” She said it is impossible for these terrorists to have so much information about aircraft presence on the base without inside help.”

Islamist Militants Attack Pakistan Naval Base

From : Huffington Post.

Fire and smoke rises from a Pakistani naval aviation base, following an attack by militants in Karachi, Pakistan, Sunday, May 22, 2011. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

KARACHI, Pakistan — Islamist militants stormed a naval base in the Pakistani city of Karachi late Sunday, destroying a U.S.-supplied surveillance aircraft, firing rockets and battling commandos sent to subdue them in one of the most brazen attacks in years, officials said.

At least four navy personnel were killed and nine wounded in fighting at the Naval Station Mehran, said navy spokesman Irfan ul Haq. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack as fighting was still reportedly going on Monday morning, saying it was part of their revenge for the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

It was unclear how many militants were killed or wounded. But between 10 and 15 attackers entered the high-security facility before splitting into smaller groups, setting off explosions and hiding in the sprawling facility, Haq said.

“We are receiving fire from different directions,” said another spokesman, Salman Ali.

The coordinated strike rocked the country’s largest city just under three weeks after the May 2 death of bin Laden in a U.S. Navy SEALs raid in the northwest garrison city of Abbottabad, an event al-Qaida-allied extremists in Pakistan have vowed to avenge.

The unilateral American raid triggered a strong backlash against Washington, which is trying to support Pakistan in its fight against militants, as well as rare domestic criticism against the armed forces for failing to detect or prevent the operation. Read details here ….Revenge of Osama ?

Security officials inspect the site following a suicide and bomb attack outside the Frontier Constabulary (FC) headquarter in Shabqadar town, about 30 kilometres north of Peshawar. Pakistan's Taliban on May 13 claimed their first major strike in revenge for Osama bin Laden's death as more than 80 people were killed in a suicide and bomb attack on paramilitary police. –AFP Photo

Twin blasts kill more than 80 in Charsadda, Pakistan.

SHABQADAR: The Tehrik-e-Taliban on Friday claimed their first major strike in revenge for Osama bin Laden’s death as more than 80 people were killed and at least 115 were wounded in a suicide and bomb attack on FC personnel.

“This was the first revenge for Osama’s martyrdom. Wait for bigger attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan,” spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location.

It was the deadliest attack in the nuclear-armed country this year and came with Pakistan’s military and civilian leadership plunged into crisis over the killing of the al Qaeda chief by US commandos on May 2.

The explosions detonated in the Shabqadar Tehsil of Charsadda, as newly trained FC cadets were getting into buses and coaches for a 10-day leave after a training course, and they were wearing civilian clothes, police said.

Shabqadar is about 30 kilometres north of Peshawar, the main city in the northwest region where militants linked to the Taliban and al Qaeda have repeatedly attacked government forces.

Ahmad Ali, a wounded paramilitary policeman, recalled the horror when the explosions turned a festive Friday morning into a bloodbath.

“I was sitting in a van waiting for my colleagues. We were in plain clothes and we were happy we were going to see our families,” he told AFP by telephone from Shabqadar hospital.

“I heard someone shouting ‘Allah Akbar’ and then I heard a huge blast. I was hit by something in my back shoulder. In the meantime I heard another blast and I jumped out of the van. I felt that I was injured and bleeding.”

Police officials confirmed that more than 80 people had been killed, making it the deadliest attack in Pakistan since November 5 when a suicide bomber killed 68 people at a mosque in the northwest area of Darra Adam Khel.

“The suicide bomber came on a motorcycle and blew himself up among the FC personnel. The bomb disposal squad told me the second bomb was planted,” said the police chief of the Charsadda district, Nisar Khan Marwat.

He said that around 20 shops and 12 vehicles were destroyed in the intensity of the blasts and put the death toll at more than 80.

“Most of those killed are FC cadets. Five dead bodies of civilians were taken to the Shabqadar hospital,” he added.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Pakistani Taliban last week threatened to attack security forces to avenge bin Laden’s killing in a US helicopter raid in Abbottabad.

There has been little public protest in support of bin Laden in a country where more people have been killed in bomb attacks in the past four years than the nearly 3,000 who died in al Qaeda’s September 11, 2001 attacks.

But under growing domestic pressure to punish Washington for the bin Laden raid, Pakistan’s civilian government said Thursday it would review counter-terrorism cooperation with the United States.

It was unclear if the move was intended as a threat, but it showed the extent of the task facing US Senator John Kerry as he prepares to embark on a mission to shore up badly strained ties with Washington’s fractious ally.

Washington did not inform Islamabad that an elite team of Navy SEALs had helicoptered into the garrison town of Abbottabad until the commandos had cleared Pakistani airspace, carrying with them bin Laden’s corpse.

The covert night-time raid has plunged Pakistani politics into turmoil with both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani facing calls to resign.

Pakistanis have been outraged at the perceived impunity of the US raid, while asking whether their military was too incompetent to know bin Laden was living close to a major forces academy, or, worse, conspired to protect him.

Gilani chaired a defence committee meeting that decided “to institute an inter-agency process to clearly define the parameters of our cooperation with the US in counter-terrorism”, an official statement said.

Washington is pressing Islamabad to investigate how bin Laden and several wives and children managed to live for five years under the noses of its military in Abbottabad, just 40 miles north of Islamabad.

Full text of Obama’s speech confirming bin Laden’s death

Yahoo! India News – Mon, May 2, 2011 10:49 AM IST

Washington D C || 1st May, 2011 : Good evening. Tonight I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history.The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory. Hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky, the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground, black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon, the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet, we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world, the empty seat at the dinner table, children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father, parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11th, 2001 in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country.

On that day, no matter where we came from, what god we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda, an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocence in our country and around the globe.

And so we went to war against al Qaeda, to protect our citizens, our friends and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense.

In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we’ve worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet, Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world. And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle and defeat his network.

Then last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden.

It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground.

I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside Pakistan.

And finally last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties.

After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must and we will remain vigilant at home and abroad. As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not and never will be at war with Islam.

I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam, because bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own.

So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I have repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens.

After nearly 10 years of service, struggle and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as commander-in-chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet, as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are.

And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who have worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work or know their names, but tonight they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they’re a part of the generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people. The cause of securing our country is not complete, but tonight we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens, our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things, not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.

Update : Bombs kill 42 at shrine in Pakistan| Los Angeles Times | April 3, 2011, 11:16 a.m. Reporting from Islamabad, Pakistan— Two suicide bombers killed at least 42 people at a shrine in central Pakistan on Sunday, the latest in a series of attacks on places of worship linked to sects opposed by militants.

The blasts took place at the Sakhi Sarwar shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan – (File Photo)

‘Fatal’ blasts at Pakistan Sufi Sakhi Sarwar shrine

BBC || 3 April 2011 Last updated at 13:57 GMT

A Muslim shrine in Pakistan has been hit by two explosions, with unconfirmed reports of casualties.

Officials told reporters at least five people had been killed and 30 more injured in the blasts at a shrine in the Dera Ghazi Khan district of Punjab.

Initial reports said the explosions struck a shrine belonging to Sufis – a minority branch of Islam regarded as heretical by hardliners. Militants attacked another Sufi shrine last year, killing six people.

The latest blasts hit near the Sakhi Sarwar shrine, and devotees were reportedly among the dead and wounded. Thousands of people had been marking the annual festival of Urs at the time of the blasts.

There is no indication of who carried out the attack, although one official said he suspected suicide bombers.

Dawn reports from Multan :

MULTAN: An emergency official says the death toll from a pair of suicide bombings at a shrine in Pakistan has risen to 30.

Thousands of people were visiting the shrine in Dera Ghazi Khan district in Punjab when the bombers struck Sunday.

Emergency coordinator Natiq Hayat says 30 people have been killed and 100 wounded.

Militants believe visiting shrines is against the spirit of Islam and have carried out such attacks in the recent past.

The area of Kurram district in Peshawar has a history of sectarian clashes between Pakistan's majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shias. — Photo by AFP

Gunmen kill eight Shi’ites in Pakistan

From:AFP

March 25, 2011 10:11PM

EIGHT people were killed and five wounded today when gunmen opened fire on two vehicles carrying Shi’ite Muslims in Pakistan’s lawless tribal region in suspected sectarian violence, officials said.

The vehicles were ambushed in Bagan town of Kurram district, near the Afghan border, and the victims “were all Shi’ite Muslims”, a security official said.

The area has a history of sectarian clashes between Pakistan’s majority Sunni Muslims and minority Shi’ites.

Local administration official Fazal Hussain told AFP the Shi’ites were heading in a three-vehicle caravan from the northwestern city of Parachinar to Peshawar, the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.

“The attackers came in two vehicles. They opened fire and fled, leaving eight people dead, including a woman and a child,” he said.

Khalid Umarzai, another senior administrative official, confirmed the incident and said the attackers also kidnapped over 20 Shi’ites travelling in three coaches before fleeing.

Entrenched militants oppose jobs and education for women in the deeply conservative tribal region of Kurram, which has for five years been a flashpoint for violence between Shi’ite and Sunni communities.

Shi’ites account for some 20 per cent of Pakistan’s mostly Sunni Muslim population of 160 million.

More than 4,000 people have died in outbreaks of sectarian violence between the groups since the late 1980s. (eNewsdotComau)

Another four killed in Karachi violence

A bullet-riddled body of a youth was recovered from under a bridge in the city’s Karimabad area. The victim was identified as one Adnan. - Dawn File Photo

KARACHI, Friday 25th March 2011 | Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1432: At least four people were killed in Karachi on Friday as incidents of target killings continued in the city by unidentified gunmen, DawnNews reported.

The number of targeted killings in the city has risen to 166 in the month of March, DawnNews reported.

A bullet-riddled body of a youth was recovered from under a bridge in the city’s Karimabad area. The victim was identified as one Adnan.

In another incident, an unknown motorcyclist shot dead one Abdul Sattar in the Liaquatabad area. Moreover, the body of an unidentified man was recovered from a playground in Landhi’s sector 36-G.